Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga
by Chickahominy Creek
Summary: Yes, this is a rewrite of Time's Wheel. When two people they care about die, it tosses the pilots and scouts into a world of chaos that threatens to destroy everthing they've ever known. The battle for the fate of three worlds has begun (again). Rating wi
1. Disclaimer

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Disclaimer: Seeing as I'm tired of writing a disclaimer at the beginning of every chapter, I've just decided to write it at the beginning of the story. 

I do not claim to own either Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon, each anime belongs to their respective owners. I do, however, own the world of Relecos and everything in it. 


	2. Chapter 1: Death's Tears

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Chapter 1: Death's Tears

****

**_"I will defeat you the only way I know how, even if it costs me my life. I will protect those I care for the most!"             –Sailor Saturn_**

Author's Note: Yes, this is Time's Wheel. I realized, looking over the story, that my writing has changed a great deal over the past couple years and that I desired to rewrite this story, adding as well as removing several elements. Some of the chapters only need spelling and grammar corrections, others I am actually rewriting. I also decided to divide up some of the chapters; they are far too long. I hope everyone enjoys this newer version. The original Time's Wheel has been removed from the web (fanfiction.net does not allow more than one copy of a story up). Yes, I will eventually finish the series (before or during the summer for sure), so those of you who were reading Time's Wheel, relax. By the way, if there is anyone who would like to give me a hand in correcting some of the grammar, spelling, etc, let me know, I can use all the help I can get. The faster everything's corrected, the faster I get it posted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tokyo, Japan 2002

"Guys, we have a very large problem!" Ami cries over her communicator to the other girls. "My computer has picked up a powerful entity two miles northeast of the old junkyard. It looks like the Negaverse again."

Ami's communicator crackles, picking up static. She shakes it violently, mumbling something about defective technology before a voice finally comes blaring through the speaker.  

"We hear you Ami," Lita replies, her voice coming in short, gasps; she's running hard. "Start making your way to the other side of the city, I'll be there in a few minutes!"

"Good. Do me a favor Lita, tell the outers too. I think this is bigger than any of us can handle alone."

"Gotcha Ami. I'll see what I can do."

Ami closes her communicator and places it into the bag. Taking out her computer, she checks the stats on the entity, for about the hundredth time, that seems to be moving closer and closer to the city. _It can't be. I have never seen anything this powerful before. It just isn't possible! Whatever it is isn't very massive, just one small speck on the map, but Kami, the power!_

Closing her computer, she places it in her bag with her communicator, setting aside the accessory so that her hands are left free. "Time to go."

"Mercury Crystal Power!" A familiar cold feeling overcomes her, ice blue ribbons surrounding her and then solidifying to for her scout uniform. Her adrenaline begins pumping as power is flushed through her system, the symbol of the planet Mercury appearing on her forehead. As her feet touch the ground once more, she turns toward the setting Tokyo sun and wonders sadly if it will be the last one she will ever see. 

Hotaru rushes over to the teakettle as it screeches, signaling that the water has boiled. Carefully, she pours the boiled water over a small bag in a mug containing herbs and ginseng. Hotaru raises the mug to her lips with a satisfied sigh. _The perfect end to a perfect day. _

Bringing her mug of tea with her, Hotaru makes her way out into the garden. A gentle breeze lifts her purple-black hair and the setting sun brings out violet glints in her dark eyes. _It's so peaceful. For the first time in a year, I can truly say that I am totally happy. Mistress 9 is sealed away forever, Saturn hasn't been needed for months and I can be a normal teenager. _Hotaru smiles happily. Since her "death and rebirth" she has grown a great deal. Her body finally looks, as it should, like a sixteen-year-old girl's. Normal—it feels good. No more bad nightmares, no more worrying about what was happening to her body nor the dark power lying dormant within her. No more death. 

A commotion inside hauls her out of her reverie. Feeling a bit perturbed, Hotaru sets down her mug and walks into the kitchen to find Amara talking to Michelle in a panicked voice. The sandy-haired woman is gesturing frantically with her hands, her face a co modulation of worry, fear, and anger. Her mood is unsettling; the air in the room is heavy. Amara's aqua-haired companion, however, is calm and controlled—but then again it is Michelle, her fury lies dormant until absolutely necessary. Amara and Michelle, her two best friends as well as her "parents," despite the feelings they had harbored for her while Mistress 9 inhabited her body.

"What is it Amara?" 

The other two women turn at the sound of her voice. Michelle smiles brightly, but Hotaru can see that it is a forced one. "It seems that an entity has appeared near the city and the scouts are needed."

Hotaru looks at her puzzled; it has been years since a creature from the Negaverse has appeared inside the limits of her home. Why now, when Crystal Tokyo is so near at hand? _I suppose my life has been too close to perfect. Why can't I just rest? Is the power of darkness that lies within me needed once more?_

Amara sees the confusion in her eyes and explains. "Ami says this one is more powerful than anything we have come up against thus far. It will be a tough battle and everyone is needed."

Hotaru nods in understanding, shifting her weight slightly from side to side. "So we're going?"

"We don't have a choice Firefly," Amara replies. 

The three girls make their way outside to the garden where they can not be seen, though the peaceful place hardly seems to be the area to start a battle. Hotaru looks one last time at the seat she had occupied not a few moments earlier and sighs. _So much for a restful evening. Oh well, duty calls again. The Scout of Death, Destruction, and Rebirth is needed once more. _

"Uranus Crystal Power!"

"Neptune Crystal Power!"

"Saturn Crystal Power!"

Hotaru feels the dark ribbons slide along her body, forming her uniform while blackness surrounds her, enfolding her in icy warmth. Her lungs are temporarily cut off from air as a darker force moves in along side the magic that already lies within her—the power to heal any wound. The two abilities contend with one another, each one seeking dominance, but neither yielding. When breath returns, the sigil of Saturn appears above her brow before being covered by her tiara. She reaches up a hand and pulls her glaive from the void where it rests, waiting for her call. When she is finished, she waits patiently for Neptune and Uranus, who are just finishing their own metamorphosis. 

            Once all the scouts are in uniform, they race toward the entity's location, using trees and rooftops as a means of travel, moving undetected through the shadows. 

As Saturn nears the battlefield she gasps. The entity appears to be nothing more than a small girl, her blue hair tied up in pigtails, the ends flailing wildly because of the tremendous energy she is expelling. The school uniform she wears is black and green, that of Mikake High, which is three miles east of Juuban. Her emerald eyes are full of power, giving all who dare to come near enough a glimpse of the force she has locked up in her tiny body.

The inner sailors are nearly beat. Sailor Moon is barely standing, her uniform in shreds and her hair falling out from the two 'meatballs' on her head. Her hand grips her wand like a lifeline and her chest is heaving, a small trickle of blood escaping her trembling mouth. She is guarding Tuxedo Mask, who is unconscious near a tree with his shoulder bleeding heavily. His trademark hat has fallen off and is lying on the floor several feet away; his raven colored hair matted with dried blood, temporarily dying it an evil crimson. Venus and Mars are leaning on each other for support, each one struggling to stay conscious. Mercury is on the ground, clutching a badly sprained ankle. Jupiter is next to her, her head resting on Mercury's lap, her eyes closed and her limbs still. 

The outers land softly upon the battleground. Saturn's fists clench at the bodies strewn around her and tears sting her eyes. She is no longer the innocent Hotaru Tomoe; her glaive lowers and she takes a step forward.

"We won't let you get away with this you monster!" Neptune shouts. "We will defeat you!"

"Neptune Deep Submerge!"

"Uranus World Shaking!"

The two attacks twist together, forming a deadly looking spiral heading straight for its target. The girl however, only laughs and makes a circle with her hands. A mirror appears in her outstretched palms and the two attacks are easily reflected. 

Saturn watches in horror as her two friends are hit by their own attack, sending them backwards into a nearby building, brick crumbling beneath them. Trying to stay calm, Saturn jumps behind the girl and with a speed that most people would not expect from her, rams her glaive through the girl's back.

The small girl cries out in rage and turns to face her next attacker, eyes shifting to a strange shade of red, her lips curled into a smile. 

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

A large burst of energy surrounds the monster as Saturn's glaive strikes the ground. The girl writhes in pain, violet energy piercing her body, her eyes rolling back in her head until only the whites can be seen. When the attack fades, she slumps to the ground, her weight resting on her knees. Saturn can't help but smile at her enemy's discomfort. 

The monster, however, is more agitated than hurt and, like a small child, she takes out her annoyance by stomping her foot on the ground. "That's it." Saturn braces herself, preparing for an attack, but to her surprise, the monster doesn't turn towards her, but Sailor Moon. A large glowing sword appears in the girl's hand and she raises it above her head and prepares to charge. 

"Black Heart Strike!" Dark power courses along the blade, which the girl immediately directs in Sailor Moon's direction.  

"No!" Saturn screams. The blade itself need not cause any damage, but that dark energy may very well be enough to kill her princess. That will not happen, not while she is still standing. 

"Silence Wall!" Saturn's wall is barley up in time to protect Sailor Moon, absorbing the impact, but even her Silence Wall is not strong enough. The defensive barrier shudders under the force of the attack and eventually shatters. 

"Space Sword Blaster!" Uranus hits the girl in the back while she is distracted. The attack is successful in ripping a gaping hole in her back. "Saturn run! She is too powerful."

The girl roars in anger. A crimson river is streaming from the wound in her back, the fabric of her uniform taking in the color. She is struggling to stand, her strength visibly weakening now. "That's it! If I have to go, you are coming with me!" Using her sharp sword, she cuts what appears to be a hole in the air, a black rip. The girl's lips curve up in a smile. "Enjoy the last breath of life scouts." The remaining scouts watch in horror as the rip appears to suck in everything around it slowly. Trash cans nearby overturn, being sucked in by the vortex. An old car suddenly begins rolling along the piles of rubble, it too not able to withstand the powerful pull of the girl's vacuum.

Saturn stares into her friends' eyes and sees the pain there, the memories, and the love, memories she herself is not a part of. Not for the first time, she realizes how little time she has had with them, how far from them she still is. The feeling of hollowness, although it is not new, is more powerful than it has ever been. The Sailor Scouts had lived through Hell together, some of which had been caused by her, yet they had held together. Now, they may very well fall.

No, not while she still lived.

 She find tears streaming down her cheeks as she looks around at the other scouts, their bodies torn and bleeding, cut in many places. Cuts she would never get to heal. 

_Uranus is right. That child is very powerful. I don't know what that is she just formed, but from the looks of it, nothing normal can stop it. _

After taking one last deep breath, Saturn charges, bringing her glaive down and taking a vicious slice out of the girl's sword arm, at the same time moving her toward l. The girl screams in what can only be pure pain. Then, with a devilish smile on her face, she switches her sword to her other hand. 

Saturn's world dims as the sword impales her. Then, with tremendous effort, she slides the sword from her body.

"How…?" the girl stutters, her confidence shattering.

"I will defeat you the only way I know how, even if it costs me my life. I will protect those I care for the most!"

Raising her glaive above her head, she prepares for her final attack. Blood streams form the gaping hole in her stomach, but she ignores in, not even bothering to heal it. 

Uranus's eyes light up, finally comprehending what her friend plans to do. "No! Hotaru don't! It will destroy you too!"

Saturn allows her tears to run from her eyes and down her cheeks freely, not afraid to show the sorrow that she feels. "Goodbye my friends. I will miss you all."

"Death Rebirth Revolution!"

Saturn feels the energy in her body leave her and closes her eyes, but does not stop. Heaving her heavy glaive over her head, she slams the butt of it into the ground at her feet. Dark energy courses along the weapon as well as herself and is sent to the earth beneath her. In a blinding flash of violet light, a sigil appears on the ground, Sailor Saturn at its center. Slowly, she opens her eyes, peering at her friends through the haze of power, their stricken faces tearing at her soul. This is all she can give them; she releases her pent up fury.  The rip pulls her and her enemy in and thanks to the huge power of her attack and closes behind them with a large release of energy. Pain rips through her body, tearing it apart. 

Then there is only silence and blackness before a cold wind comes to claim her.


	3. Chapter 2: Shinigami's Fall

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Chapter 2: Shinnigami's Fall and the Shattering of the Time Gate

**_"Of course Quatre, the God of Death would never miss a battle."_**

**_                                                                                    -Duo Maxwell_**

***********************************************************

Gundam Wing Universe: A Desert Base in Arabia

Duo Maxwell, ex-pilot of Gundam 02, thief, Preventer, and soldier stares intently at the screen in front of him, his vibrant cobalt eyes narrowed in frustration. An indicator light on the dashboard is flickering steadily while the image of the large machine he is sitting in is displayed on the panel before him, the region by the knee joint highlighted as the problem area. Sitting back in the cockpit, Duo scratches his head, attempting to study the problem from several angles but to no avail. The truth is, the light could be going off because of anything from a faulty electrical cord to an oil leak; it is just too hard to tell, especially when he is going on nothing more than three hours of sleep. 

With a defeated sigh, Duo slams the lid to his laptop down, shutting down the system. It has been over two years since the Eve Wars had ended and the Gundams were destroyed and everyone had been hoping for peace—hoping in vain. The tranquility after a war is fragile and easily destroyed. When soldiers no longer have a war to fight they become dangerous, their need for battle igniting the fire of a new rein of chaos. The Red Wings had come out of nowhere, a renegade group from the colonies who believed that the small countries among the stars were still being oppressed by the Earth—a foolish notion, the colonies could not survive without their mother planet and vice versa, but anything for a good battle. Misguided though their ideals were, however, their fighting force had been nothing to scoff at. The Preventers had barely held their heads above water in the first several attacks, mostly due to outdated technology and the lack of cooperation from the Earth Federation, which had been reluctant to lend aid in fear of another war. It had taken months before Quatre, the ex-pilot turned negotiator, could convince the Earth's leaders to give them the help they so desperately needed. Between him and a little backing from Relena, the Earth Federation had helped make the last several battles a success. 

As for the technology, that is the reason why Duo now finds himself in the hangar of the Winner mansion, repairing old Tauruses and inputting them with new technology. It is a time consuming, yet necessary process—or so he tells himself. 

Swinging his legs over the cockpit, Duo enjoys the sensation of falling before his feet collide rather roughly with the ground beside the Taurus's feet. Even for a Gundam Pilot, the drop from the cockpit door to the ground is a large step. Flinging his waist length chestnut braid back over his shoulder, he bends down and retrieves his toolbox from the floor, buckling shut the lid in three short flicks of his wrist. Grabbing the handle, he picks it up and begins to make his way towards the exit, only to be interrupted by one of the hangar doors opening. A gust of wind brings in a flurry of sand, a little bit of the Arabian Desert brushing casually across his angular face. The large form of a mobile suit lurches into the hangar and Duo moves aside, allowing the machine access to the dock.

The mobile suit's pilot steers the weapon in to an empty bay, the latches and gates closing shut with a familiar loud clacking noise. The cockpit door slides open and a lean figure steps out, the pilot having to duck his head in order to clear the door. The figure is tall and lanky, his jet black body suit outlining sinew and muscle. Even though he is not on ground level with Duo, it is easy to see that this pilot towers over the 02 pilot by several inches. In moments, the pilot is fully illuminated by the light of the hangar and like his comrade had done earlier, he leaps to the ground, turning his graceful body into a small summersault in the air as he does so, easily landing lightly on his feet once he reaches the bottom. 

Duo grins, recognizing the pilot immediately. "Hey Trowa! Is there anything moving out there?"

The pilot yanks off his helmet, his trademark hair falling into his face and covering one of his emerald eyes. He is silent for a moment, his face as composed as the mask he wears for circus performances—his night job. "Nothing much, but then that's what worries me." 

Duo nods in agreement, his brow creasing in a slight frown as he follows Trowa out the hangar door and into the hallway. He too had been expecting an attack by now; the Red Wings had been silent for nearly a month. The Preventer forces are becoming too relaxed, a grave detail he had been taking note of in the past week. There are fewer men at the radar and on lookout. There are fewer sweeps of the area, less mobile suits out in the desert looking for danger. 

"They're going to surprise us," Trowa remarks, interrupting his thoughts. 

"Yeah, it makes me a little edgy." 

The two round a corner and stop at the first door. Neither even bothers knocking, instead walking right into the room. Another young man sits hunched over behind are large mahogany desk, rays of the setting sun streaming through the windows and catching strands of his pale blond hair. He rests like an island amongst a sea of paperwork, the surface of the desk barely visible beneath the sheets. 

When the door creaks open, his head jerks up, a pale, thin hand moving up reflexively to brush a strand of hair out of his icy blue eyes. He blinks a couple times and a yawn escapes his mouth before he can stifle it. 

"Good morning Quatre," Duo says, smiling at his friend. 

Quatre grins in return, darting a glance toward a clock on the left wall, wincing slightly. "Evening actually." He motions for the other two boys to sit, Duo and Trowa doing so gladly. 

"How are things looking out there Trowa?" Quatre asks, the line sounding routine—he expects the answer long before it leaves Trowa's lips. 

"Quiet," Trowa says simply.

"You saw nothing?"

"Sorry Quatre, there is no activity whatsoever to the north."

Quatre sighs and pushes his chair away from the desk, the rollers carrying the piece of furniture to the windowsill. He rests his head on his right hand, rubbing his temples as he sinks deeper into the cushions. "Damn. Just three months ago there was no end to the blitz, now it is like they were never here. They're planning an attack; I know it, but where and when!"

_Poor Quatre, _Duo thinks silently. _Between running the Winner Corporation and tracking down this terrorist group on the side, life has been a living Hell for him. It's strange. Somehow, after the Mariemaia incident, he seemed to take the position of leader by default. But then again, he's really is the only one capable of doing it. Heero has the knowledge, but let's face it, he's not a people person and Trowa, for all he is a bit more approachable and affable, is still too quiet most of the time to be effective. As for Wufei, he is used to working on his own and we all know I couldn't organize something like this if I lived to be a hundred._

"Have we heard anything from Wufei yet?" Trowa interjects, momentarily silencing his thoughts. The tall boy has now risen from his chair and is studying a music case several feet away from the desk. 

"No, we haven't," Quatre replies evenly, "but I expect…"

The phone on the desk suddenly goes off, the shrieking demanding attention. "Excuse me," Quatre mutters. He leans over and presses a button on the consol, turning on the speaker button. "Go ahead."

"Master Quatre!" Duo immediately recognizes the voice of Rashid, the leader of Quatre's Maganacs, and he leans forward, attentive. He had been dispatched to patrol the western border nearly three hours ago. Perhaps now, they will finally get some action.

"The Red Wings are finally making their move sir!"

Quatre whirls around, leaning forward on the desk, his eyes narrowed in keen interest. "Where Rashid?" 

"In space sir, approximately five miles above the Earth's outer atmosphere northwest of your position!"

Quatre nods in affirmation, glancing quickly over at Duo and Trowa. "We hear you, thanks Rashid. We'll be there as soon as we can." He switches off the phone and picks up the receiver, punching in another series of numbers. "You two go ahead, I'm going to contact the others."

Trowa and Duo waste no time running for the door and turning back toward the hangar, the two sprinting stride for stride despite Trowa's advantage in height. Upon reaching the door, Trowa punches in the five digit pin number into the keypad. The door slides silently open. 

 Duo vaults up to the cockpit of his Taurus, his small, dexterous body easily carrying him to his destination. He immediately powers up, the screen in front of him flickering to life, the controls faintly illuminated. The safety restraint comes over his shoulders and buckles around his middle, securing him tightly in the cockpit. His gaze sweeps over the monitors, quickly checking the indicators for problems. He catches a flickering light instantly and lets out a string of curses. 

"Shit, I'm out of fuel. I must have forgotten to fill it after the repairs." A stupid mistake, he realizes. It appears as if he too has become too comfortable with peace. 

"Don't worry about it Maxwell," Heero says over the intercom, the brown-haired boy's image appearing on the screen, his Prussian blue eyes boring into his without emotion. "Just refuel and join us when you can." 

Duo groans. "But by the time I refuel, you guys will be finished with them!"

"Forget it Duo," says Quatre, maneuvering his suit in beside his. It appears he had followed Heero into the hangar. "From the data Rashid sent me, we'll be up there for a while. Just make sure you get there the moment you are able alright?"

"Of course Quatre, the God of Death would never miss a battle."

As the others take off, Duo opens a communication line to the maintenance crew on the ground, relaying his demand for fuel. He watches as the fuel gauge slowly rises on the consol, his fingers tapping out a rhythm on the metallic board. Finally, a man bellow gives him the go ahead and he slams the fuel door closed with a flick of the wrist and turns to fire up the engines, the mobile suite responding to his commands. Before long, the suit is out of the hangar and in the open air.  

Suddenly, the suit jerks upward and he is forced into the back of his seat by the force of gravity. Closing his eyes, he concentrates on breathing, the atmospheric pressure causing his lungs to stain for air. 

The discomfort lasts only a moment as he is hurled out of Earth's grasp, the blackness of space greeting him like an old friend. For a moment, he allows himself to experience the adrenaline rush, the blood pounding through his body and ready for battle. _The Great Destroyer is back!_  

The scene that greets him however, is a sorrowful one. Trowa's Taurus is missing an arm, and part of a leg, making in nearly useless. Quatre finds himself in a similar situation, with only one arm and his Taurus out of ammo. Wufei, who must have arrived from his patrol before Duo came, is struggling to remain conscious with a large piece of metal through one arm and a huge gash on his forehead. Only Heero's Taurus is fully operational, the Perfect Soldier taking out enemies as if they are nothing more than flies. 

"What in the hell are you guys doing?" Duo screams. Despite his training, he can not calm the wave of panic. Things are not looking good and guilt twists his gut. If he had arrived sooner…

"They were much more powerful than we thought," Quatre answers weakly. 

Duo stares at the mobile suit in front of them. It looks very similar to Epion, with the whips for a weapon. The blood red armor gleams, reflecting the sunlight; it is unmistakably Gundanium. The eyes are a glowing shade of dark violet, a harbinger of death he ever saw one. Sinuous wings extend from its back, similar to the pair on his late Deathscythe Hell, but with a thin membrane instead of metal. 

"Is that a…" Duo starts, leaving his remark hanging. 

Heero nods. "Yes, they've built a Gundam."

A horrible laugh comes over the intercom and the face of the pilot comes onto the screen. "Well, you're the last of them. I must admit you fought well, but as you know the suits you have are no mach for a Gundam."

"Who the hell are you?" Duo shouts.

The man smiles, a spark of light illuminating his gray eyes. Removing a strand of black hair from his eyes, he stares calmly at Duo. "I'm General Amarad, leader of the Red Wings. You Gundam pilots have caused the deaths of many. It is my job to clean up after you."

Duo smiles. "All by yourself."

Amarad laughs. "Of course not. NOW!"

Suddenly the area is filled with mobile suites. "I could never take all the glory."

"Damn," Duo mutters. "I just had to open my big mouth." He pulls back slightly, moving back to back with Heero's Taurus. 

"Well, it's been fun talking to you, but I'm afraid I must carry out my mission now."

The strange Gundam surges forward and removes one of the arms from Heero's Taurus with one of its whips. Hero fights valiantly to try to keep off Amarad's attacks, but the powerful weapons cut through the armor of his suit like they are made of nothing but paper.  

Meanwhile, Duo is busy defending the other pilots from Amarad's troops. _At least these are normal suits. If they were Gundams this might be a problem, but even I can handle this. _Duo moves swiftly and dodges a round of bullets sent by and enemy suit. Then, using a light saber, he splits it in twine. "You all are no match for me, why don't you just go home!"

"Gotcha!"

Duo turns from his own battle and stares off in Heero's direction. Amarad has a tight grip on Heero's Taurus, ready to split the suit in half with its two weapons. "It's over boy," Amarad says triumphantly from the cockpit, a sadistic smile smearing his face.

_NO! Heero! _Duo surges forward, pushing his boosters to the max, not caring about the enemy suits. A normal Taurus would have never made it, but Duo had reprogrammed his himself; it is far better than the average mobile suit. He grabs onto Amarad's Gundam, holding on as tightly as he can, pinning the arms down at its side. 

Amarad releases his grip on Heero and turns his attention to this new annoyance. "Well, that was brave. Foolish, but brave."

Duo looks at the wreckage around him. _Well this is quite a predicament. At this rate, this is a losing battle. But…_

Memories bombard him, taking control. Heero, pointing a gun at him the first time they met. Quatre's smile, Trowa's serious face, Wufei chasing him around the Winner house. _They really do mean a lot to me. But do they mean that much?_

Duo smiles. He already knows the answer to that question. With a sigh, he flips open the panel on his dashboard, revealing a single red button. "Well, it looks like this is it. You guys get out of here."

"Duo no!" Heero shouts, realizing what Duo intends. "I can't let you do that!"

Duo only shakes his head. If he did not know any better, he would have said that was worry in Yui's voice—never from the Perfect Soldier. "You don't have a choice, and neither do I. It's either all of us die here and leave these terrorists to claim this world, or…"

"Duo!" 

"I'm sorry." Duo pushes the button. Pain rushes through his body, the metal stabbing him in several places, crushing his heart and lungs, and piercing his upper torso. The pain only lasts for a moment and then it fades, his head swimming in a sea of nothingness. He is slightly surprised to taste a coppery liquid in his mouth as the world begins to fade, becoming darker and darker until everything is black. 

"DUO!!!!!!!!!!!"

_Goodbye._

He feels his body being sucked into something, the world collapsing. Then, there is only darkness.

Time Gates

"What is going on?" Sailor Pluto cries as the orb on her staff begins to glow fiercely. As quickly as she is able, she runs up to the time gate. The gate is glowing a bright red. A ripping sound can be heard coming from all directions at once.

"Oh no, this can't be what I think it is!" She attempts to channel her power, a desperate attempt to prevent the inevitable. 

Suddenly, the sound of metal bending can be heard as the time gate twists and shudders. Then, with a loud crack, it shatters completely. Holes appear in the air around the area where the time gate used to be, each filled with swirling colors and flashing images: a grassy hill, a mountain range, a metropolis, and devastation.  

Pluto watches helplessly as something passes through the remains of the gate. _Not one something, many somethings. Human figures…_

"The time gate has just shattered," Pluto says, her voice beginning to sound panicked. "Dimensions are opening up everywhere. It isn't possible. It would take a tremendous amount of energy to destroy the time gate."

_But something did it. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	4. Chapter 3: Collision Course

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Chapter 2: Collision Course

**_Now is not a time for mourning. I want to cry, to drown everything in this forsaken existence in my tears, but I can't do that._**

**_                                                   -Ami Mizuno_******

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tokyo Japan, Cherry Hill Temple

_She's gone; she's really gone. _Ami can't stop the tears as they run down her face in tiny rivulets. The scene of Hotaru's death plays over and over again in her mind. She sees the young girl raising her glaive, darkness surrounding her, her fuku drenched in blood, and her body growing weaker as she executes her attack. She watches again as Saturn and the creature fall into a hole in the air and disappear forever. 

It had been a full day now and the shock has finally worn off, leaving only and empty sorrow behind. The girls, Darien, Luna, and Artimes are gathered at Rei's temple. Ami can dimly recall someone mentioning a burial service for their friend, it might have even been her, but she can't remember clearly. She preferred to forget.  

Ami looks up to stare at the others. Serena is cradled in Darien's arms, sobbing without any embarrassment or inhibition. Likewise, Michelle is clinging tightly to Amara, but her tears seem spent. Now she only sits quietly, mourning the death of the girl who was almost a daughter to her. Amara herself seems frozen, a haunted look on her face as she absently strokes her lover's back.  Rei is in a corner by herself, her knees tucked under her, her face blank as she stares strait ahead, her eyes unseeing. Mina is crying silently on the couch, Lita and the two cats trying their best to comfort her, though their eyes too are flooded with water. 

Ami herself is finished with tears. She had cried for hours the previous night, but her tears would not come at sunrise. With a sigh, she stands up and maneuvers around Serena and Darien to walk out into the warm summer air. The bright sunshine causes her to shield her eyes momentarily. There is a slight breeze that rakes the tips of the trees, sunlight playing with the forest floor beneath the thick canopy. She stares defiantly at the bright world around her. _It just isn't right. The world seems so happy and full of life, yet we must suffer, _she thinks sadly, and then morosely adds,_ Hotaru loved days like this.  _

Sighing, steps out onto the stone path making her way around the temple grounds. After a few moments, she finds herself at the temple steps. Suddenly, the wind picks up, lifting her bluish hair and caressing her pale skin. She can feel a presence behind her, but she doesn't bother to turn around, already knowing who is behind her before having to look; it is a familiar energy.

"You know?" Ami says softly, her voice sounding hoarser that she had meant it to. 

"Yes, I know," Trista replies, sadness in her voice, "but I'm afraid that's not why I came."

"Oh?" Ami stands and turns around to look Trista in the eye and winces upon seeing that their mahogany depths are reddened, the area underneath swollen from hours of crying. Her mouth twists into a frown and Ami bites back the comment she was about to make. She can see that Trista has mourned as much as the rest--perhaps more so. 

Finally, Ami recalls what the woman had said a moment ago, something about a reason for coming here besides her daughter's death. "What is wrong Trista?" 

"Let us go meet the others first. This involves us all." Trista turns gracefully, making her way back towards the residence area of the grounds. 

Ami nods and quietly follows. Once they reach their destination, Ami reaches for the door, sliding it open silently and motioning with her hand that Trista should precede her. As the two girls enter the temple, the other girls look up at Trista, acknowledging her presence, but refusing to break the sorrowful silence. 

Trista pauses for a moment, but then moves through the small area purposefully, looking each scout in the eye before taking a place by the door, her back against the wall. "I am sorry to bring you news like this after such a blow, but I'm afraid this is very important." Everyone is still silent, their eyes refusing to focus on the Time Guardian. A shroud had been draped over the room, not a glimmer of life present in their once joyous world. It appears that the scouts had been lost along with their friend.  

Finally, Trista's gaze comes to rest on Michelle and a wave of pain hits her almost hard enough to knock her off her feet. The water princess could cry for days if she wanted to, and it appears as if she is trying to drown the world. Trista walks over to the pair sitting a few feet away from her and gently lays a comforting hand on Michelle's shoulder, allowing her own pain to show for a moment. Michelle looks up, lifting her head from Amara's shoulder. Her aqua hair is in sorry disarray, strands of it sticking up and tangled. She swallows once and finally manages a strangled word. "Pluto?"

Trista swallows the lump in her throat. The state of her friend had unsettled her. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but we must put her death behind us, at least for a time. The Time Gate has shattered."

"WHAT!"

"I don't know exactly how, but for some reason, too much energy from two different times caused the gate to shatter and break. Dimensions are opening up and time itself is in chaos." Trista sighs, collapsing onto the floor beside Amara and Michelle, bringing her knees to her chest and resting her head on them. "I've tried to keep different times from flowing together, but the balance is becoming harder to control by the moment. It's extremely unstable."

"I don't understand," Amara says, releasing Michelle slightly. "How can the Time Gate shatter?"

"Two or more colossal energies were released at the same time in two different epochs. One of them, I think, may have been Saturn's attack. As to the other I do not know. When it broke, there were several forms that managed to make their way through the gate. In other words, our world may be in grave danger. There's no telling what came through. My full attention was on trying to keep the time stream in one piece, I did not notice what was coming through. I'm sorry."

The room falls silent, everyone's attention fixed on the Time Guardian. Disbelief is mirrored on their faces beneath the pain. 

_This is not what we need right now. Why did this…?_

Ami shakes herself out of her trance and leans over to grab her purse from where it rests on the table, fishing through its contents. Finally, she pulls out her data computer and flips open the top, activating the main screen. _Now is not a time for mourning. I want to cry, to drown everything in this forsaken existence in my tears, but I can't do that. We can't do that. The scouts have a duty and if something bad is threatening this world—Hotaru would not want us to just sit here. _

"I'll begin searching for the abnormality you saw earlier Trista," Ami says softly, her fingers flickering gently over the keys of her computer. "You should probably go back; try to keep more damage from happening to the Time Gate. Don't let anything through."

Trista glances at her and allows her jaw to drop slightly in surprise. Her hesitancy lasts only for a brief moment, however, before she rises carefully from the ground, nodding once at Ami with an approving smirk. 

 "Ami's right, I have a job to do. If any other problems develop, I'll let you know," Trista remarks before disappearing in a flash of dark emerald light. 

Once she is gone, Serena slowly untangles herself from Darien's embrace, wiping away tears and turning towards her scouts. "We all have work to do guys. Ami, how long do you think it will take for you to find these intruders?" 

"I am not certain. It could be three hours, three days, or even three weeks before I find so much as a trace. It all depends upon how good our query is at evading us," the blue-haired teen replies evenly.

"I'll give you a hand Ami," Rei says, standing up and moving toward the door. "Maybe a fire reading will speed up the process. I'll start now." The fire priestess departs, the echo of her footsteps moving toward her sacred room. 

After a moment, Amara stands as well, pulling Michelle up with her. "If the rest of us comb the city, perhaps we could find something too."

Serena nods. "Yeah, that might help somewhat. It's better than sitting here waiting." 

"I'll remain here," Lita says. "Someone has to make sure that Ami and Rei actually stop for a break once in a while. I'll make sure neither of them keels over."

"Alright scouts, we have a city to protect."


	5. Chapter 4: Waking to a New World

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Chapter 4: Waking to a New World

**"Usually, on clear nights, you can see the light of the nearest colonies. They're not there, and as far as I can see, they never where."**

**                                                                                                            -Trowa Barton**

**************************************************

Tokyo Japan, Starlight Towers

The ground beneath his cheek is cold and hard. Coupled with the incessant throbbing in his head, he felt frozen to the core. Slowly, he moves his fingers, feeling smooth stone beneath them—marble? Quatre Winner opens his eyes slowly, blinking several times until the world ceases to fade in and out. _What happened? _He attempts to sit up but sinks back down again when a flash of pain is slammed through his body, startling every nerve. Perhaps he had blacked out again; he could not know for sure. _What is going on? The last thing I remember is the battle with Amarad. Duo and Heero were fighting him and then Duo…_

"Damn, Duo…" the words come out in a harsh whisper, his vocal cords, like the rest of him, feeling as though they are encased in ice. Quatre takes another ragged breath and forces himself to calm down, attempting to send a message to the rest of his body to let it know that he is still alive. Finally, he tries once more to sit up, this time with a bit more success. His hands flail out around him until his left one encounters a wall; he pulls himself upward. The moment he is vertical, the world begins to tilt and his stomach clenches in complaint. Quatre attempts to recall a time when he felt worse, but there is not much on that list. __

As he gets to his feet, he notices a row of windows in front of him. Quatre walks slowly over to the light, flinching slightly as his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. When it clears, he nearly cries out. The moonlight shines brightly on a city beneath him, its fullness illuminating a city of lights. Noise fills the air from the heavy traffic pollution beneath him. People move about on the streets below, packed along sidewalks with little space in between them. The structure that he is looking down from rises high above almost all of the surrounding buildings, revealing a metropolis where edifices are as firmly packed as the population. Rows of signs line the streets, shops of every kind open for business. Neon greens, reds, yellows, oranges, and other vibrant colors light up the night like a roman candle, an explosion of color that burns the eyes. Kami, where had he landed? 

_This can't possibly be anywhere near __Arabia__ in A.C 197. It almost looks like something out of a text book… The thought hangs there suspended and he feels the color drain from his face. __It can't be…_

 "Quite a site isn't it?" Quatre jumps at the sound of the voice and whirls around. Trowa is leaning against the wall near him, his emerald gaze also fixed on the city below. He had not even heard the older boy come up behind him, although that was not surprising. It is part of the job. Judging by the wakefulness in his friend's eyes, Quatre assumes that he had been awake now for quite some time, studying the surrounding area.__

"Yes, I haven't seen a city this big in a long time. The colonies can't afford to make cities this large. I wonder where we are." _Or when we are, he adds silently. It's not a topic he wants to bring up yet. There has to be another explanation. Trowa turns away, now leaning fully against the wall so his back is turned toward the metropolis. He nods once in affirmation. There was no fooling him either. _

"Hn." Heero walks in from a stairwell that is leading to the next floor, supporting Wufei, who is barely conscious, with his body broken and bloody. Without Hero's support, he definitely wouldn't be standing. Quatre shivers. _It looks like the battle took a lot out of us. I'm surprised any of us are standing. I've never fought so hard._ He can barely move his body himself; his muscles are petrified, complaining loudly with every expansion or contraction.As he looks around, he notices a certain presence is still missing. 

"Duo's gone," he says quietly, his vision beginning to blur. 

Trowa only closes his eyes, moving to blend in further with the shadows, turning his face away so that only the back of his brown-haired head can be seen... Quatre looks up at his friend and feels his heart wrench. His face shows no emotion, but he knows why Trowa's eyes are closed. After years of friendship, it didn't take much to realize that those eyes showed more than any expression would. Trowa, by nature, had always worn as mask, but that mask can not reach those emerald orbs—their depths, Quatre is sure, are now clouded by pain.  

Trowa is not the only one hurt by the lack of a familiar presence. Heero, for a moment looks as if someone has punched him in the stomach. His normally emotionless face changing for a brief moment, breaking the ice that seems to compose his whole being. For a second in time, his face contorts into a look of pain that is almost physical. Then it shifts back, the perfect soldier taking control before the boy beneath loses it. 

"That still doesn't solve the problem of where we are," Heero says in a cool monotone, bringing the three of them back to the problem at hand. Typical Heero, focused even when life decides to throw a curve ball—a wicked one. 

"I don't think that it's a matter of _where _we are. I think a better question to ask now is _when _are we?" Trowa says from his corner, his voice barely audible. There, someone had finally said it, and the words send chills up Quatre's spine. Knowing it is one thing, hearing it makes it a reality. 

"Usually, on clear nights, you can see the light of the nearest colonies," Trowa says, seeing that Quatre understands. "They're not there, and as far as I can see, they never where." Yes, Quatre can see that, taking a second glance at the night sky. It is almost beautiful, the light from the city not reaching the height at which the boys stand. He has a clear view of an open night sky and he can not help the rise of excitement in his chest. 

It is beautiful, but ominous as well—so unfamiliar.

"So what do we do?" Quatre whispers. Wufei finally seems to regain consciousness and moans loudly. Quatre looks over at his friend with pity. "I guess that answers my question. We have to get him somewhere where he can recover."

Heero nods in agreement. "We have to find someplace where no one will ask questions." _Ah, yes, now that, _Quatre says silently, _could be a problem. People are going to want to know what caused wounds like this. It's not like someone can just walk into a public place asking for aid while looking as if he had been torn apart by a large explosion. Kami, how did this happen?_

"But where?" Trowa asks. "We don't have any money to pay someone," he says, adding yet another problem to the growing pile of misfortune. 

Quatre sighs. "I don't know. Let's just get out of here first. We'll worry about the money problem when we come to it." _He needs help. Money or no money, questions or no questions, he'll die otherwise. We've already lost Duo, we can't lose Wufei too._

With that, the four remaining pilots make their way slowly down the tower taking it step by excruciating step on the stair case, being careful not to aggravate their injured friend. Accidentally sending him into a wall by mistake, Quatre is sure,  would probably hurt. The elevator had not been working. Something had sent the box to the bottom of the shaft in a most permanent way. The cables, appearing to have been severed, hung limply from pulleys on the top floor, the elevator itself had been in a massive heap far below. 

"Wherever you are Duo," Quatre murmurs under his breath, taking another careful step behind Trowa, who has hold of Wufei's upper body. "Good luck."

Tokyo, Japan: Cherry Hill Temple

The heat of the temple fire warms Rei's skin as she meditates, its comforting presence calming her nerves even as she searches for answers within its depths that will bring anything but assurance. Sweat is beaded on her brow, her raven colored hair sticking to her face because of the moisture. She can taste a drop of it on her lips, a salty tang that forces her to give into temptation and lick her lips. Rei's hands are moving slowly in familiar patterns, her mouth echoing the words of a seeking mantra, searching out her query. Where is the trouble? Where is evil? Is it time for the scouts to fight once more?

Ever since Trista's warning of the possibility of a new threat that morning, the scouts have been on constant alert. For the past three hours, Rei has been in front of the fire, searching the astral world for anything unusual or out of place. The doors to the fire room are latched from the inside; no one will interrupt her in her task. A task that is proving most frivolous. 

Finally, Rei leans lies back, exhausted and glances at the watch on her wrist, groaning at the time—one o'clock in the morning. _Nothing so far, but I can sense the opening of many dimensions that where not there before. I don't know much about time, but the small glue that kept the dimensions separate is just about gone. Not much can be done though until Pluto fixes the shattered gate. _Rei allows herself a small smile at the thought. _Glad it's her and not me. _

A commotion outside causes her to sit up and look towards the door. _What is that? _She senses the presence of four life forces coming in the direction of the temple and her eyes narrow in suspicion—an enemy? She lets her senses reach out to them and is shocked when she finds that not only are all of them human, but all are in a great deal of pain, one force decreasing at such a rapid pace that it stirs her into action. 

As quickly as she can, Rei climbs to her feet and unlatches the door, racing out of the room and onto the temple grounds. Her bare feet complain loudly as rocks from the ground prick her skin, but she ignores them. There are more important things right now than her own pain. As she reaches the steps, she notices three boys nearing the entrance, another boy held between the two taller ones. The weaker one is dripping pools of blood onto steps of the temple, his life draining out from several grievous slashes and incisions. 

"Bring him this way!" Rei shouts to them, hurrying down the steps. One of the boys, a blonde-haired youth that is trailing behind and who does not look much older than her, turns in Rei's direction. For a moment he only looks at her questioningly, but then nods and says something to the others. For a moment, it looks as if they are going to reject her offer, but reluctantly, the other two agree and begin lifting the boy up the temple steps. 

Rei leads them into the fire room and instructs them to lay him on the floor. The forces of her planet are strongest here, perhaps she can keep the boy alive long enough to call for some help. She leaves them momentarily and runs to the main building to grab some blankets, pillows, and a first aid kit. Once she returns to the room, she lays out the blankets and instructs the boys to place their friend on them. Finally, she takes a look at his wounds. With the up-most care, she removes his shirt and stares at his horribly battered body. _I'm no doctor, but this doesn't look too good. _She can see the many bruises and cuts and she is almost positive that a few ribs are broken as well. Already the blood is soaking through the thick blankets and working its way through the straw mat on the floor. 

After doing what she can for the cuts and gashes, she turns to the boys. "This is all I can do for him. He needs a doctor."

The blonde boy who she had spotted before smiles, his blue eyes revealing a deep sorrow. "Yes, but we have no money for a doctor." Rei's eyes narrow in concentration. He has a slight accent of some kind, but she can not seem to pin point it and her suspicions quell again. No matter, she senses no malevolent intent in his aura, only deep concern. She will have to ignore it for now. 

One of the other boys, the taller one with brown hair covering one of his emerald eyes, walks over and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I've already lost one friend, I don't want to lose another," he says softly, Rei barely catching the quiet syllables. 

_What have these boys gone through to come out like this? They look like they've been to hell and back. Perhaps…_

"Wait a moment, I need to make a phone call, I'll be right back." Rei runs outside, but doesn't go into the house for a phone. Instead, she pulls out her communicator, an idea forming in her head, hoping that a friend will do her a favor. After a moment, Ami's tired face appears on the screen. 

"What is it Rei? It's one o'clock in the morning?" Ami, dressed in blue pajamas rubs her eyes sleepily. It appears even the night owl herself had succumbed to sleep.

"Sorry to wake you Ami, but could you do me a really big favor?"

Ami looks at her warily. "Maybe."

"Great, is your mom home?"

Ami nods and Rei's hope soars. The doctor is in.

"Well, we have a small emergency at the temple. Could you and her come down here."

"What happened, are you hurt Rei?" Ami cries, sounding worried now. "Is it Grandpa, what did he…"

"No, listen Ami! There are these four boys who just appeared at the steps to the temple, covered in blood. Ami, I don't know what happened to them, but one of them needs some serious help."

Ami's eyes narrow. "Four strangers, Rei, are you sure--?"

"Ami, there is no ill will in their aura, only concern and a great deal of hurt. I don't think they want to answer any questions at the moment either. Ami please."

Her friend remains silent for a moment longer, considering all the details. Rei can almost see the little gears turning in that mind of hers at a speed incomprehensible to everyone else. "Okay," she sends finally. "My mom and I will be right over."

Ami severs the connection and Rei closes her communicator with a small snap, shoving the object into her robes as she runs back to the fire room to wait. 

Several Miles North of Tokyo: Old Military Base 

Amarad curses as he shakes the water out of his boots, climbing out of a lake. _What in the hell happened? I had those infidels right where I wanted them! One minute I have the pilot in my grasp, the next minute there's a flash of light and I'm under twenty feet of water! _

"General!" A soldier dressed in the uniform of the Red Wings comes running down the hill from the forest, his black hair ruffled and his eyes showing a hint of panic. Panic, from one of his men—now what? 

"What is it?"

The soldier stops to catch his breath a moment and then continues. "I'm glad I found you sir. Most of the troops are still in one piece in an old base in the forest, but sir I think maybe you should have a look at this."

Becoming a little curious, he follows the soldier to the front of the base. His troops are waiting for him there, but so are a few strange beings he has never see before. In the center of it all is a beautiful woman, holding a strange staff with a dark crystal on it. Her hair is a snowy white and her eyes are as black and bottomless as the vortex of empty space without light. Her skin is a chalky white and her body appears very frail, almost like it is made of sticks. Yet, despite her apparent weakness, he doubted he could snap her in twine like a piece of wood.

_ I don't know how I know, but she is powerful. _

The woman smiles cruelly at him, her teeth drawn to malicious points. "Good evening general Amarad. I don't believe we've met. I suppose you may call me Queen Beryl. I believe you are looking for an explanation." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	6. Chapter 5: A Meeting of Strangers in a S...

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Chapter 5: The Meeting of Strangers in a Strange World

**_How did I survive an attack that was supposed to kill me?_**

**_                                              -Hotaru Tomoe_******

*****************************************************

**?…**

She is cold. Her body feels like it is covered in a thick layer of frost and her hair, splayed around her head like a dark halo is encased in ice. The darkness seems to suffocate her as she struggles for breath. Saturn's whole world is nothingness. Blackness surrounds her, threatening to choke her and invade her very soul; she accepts it. _If this is death, then so be it. _

And then there is light. One minute there is only an endless void, then suddenly, a heat so intense that it causes pain, the warmth of a sun filling her body. She is light, falling, wind rushing past her face as gravity pulls her down to some unknown earth. Finally, there is the pain. She feels sharp stabs of agony in her stomach and chest and her body doubles over on itself, Saturn quickly losing her power to her suffering. The black ribbons of her senshi uniform unwind to form her everyday street cloths, a pair of loose black pants and a purple short sleeved shirt that reaches to her mid thigh, an outfit suitable for early summer. Her hand reaches out and grips green grass, using the foliage as a temporary anchor. Slowly, she reaches for her healing powers, trying to relieve her body of the terrible pain. She feels bones snap back into place, and gashes close as the purple energy fills her, her scout power speeding up the healing process. It is a familiar feeling of warmth and comfort and she relishes in it, relief flooding through her as she feels all her gashes closing.

Finally she feels well enough to take a chance at opening her eyes. She looks up to see the swaying leaves of an unfamiliar tree above her, some of its branches snapped in half from a strong impact. _Well, I guess I must have fallen into that. _The area she is in is heavily wooded with greenery, none of which she recognizes. The tree she is under, for example, is bigger than any she has ever heard of, stretching up as tall as any modern day building; its width had to be at least fifty feet around. The woods around her are silent, not a single creature nearby. Silently, Hotaru prays to whatever god may hear her that it is because of her unceremonious arrival and not due to some great predator in the area. 

_I wonder where I am. I should be dead. Is this some kind of after life? _She shakes her head, clearing it and feeling yet another jolt of pain. No, she is definitely alive. _Well, wherever I am, I have to find a safe place to rest and fast. I'm a sitting duck out here in the open with so little strength. _

Hotaru winces slightly as she straightens up, using the tree for support and takes a hesitant step forward. No sooner does she set down her foot does she jerk it back again, her feet sinking into surprisingly moist ground. Cautiously, she puts her full weight on her foot, water rising up from the black soil beneath her and covering the tips of her boots. It seems safe enough, just strange. Hotaru thanks her lucky stars that she had been wearing heavy footwear before she transformed, tennis shoes would have been very uncomfortable here. She begins making her way down a path into the woods, not knowing whether she is going in or out. Minutes tick by and eventually turn to hours as the light begins to dim, though whether from the time of day or just the increase in foliage she is not sure. Thoughts run wildly through her head as her body becomes weaker. _How did I get here? How did I survive an attack that was supposed to kill me? Did I survive? _

Finally, as the sun begins to set, she spots a trail of smoke in the air coming from what appears to be a small fire or chimney. With renewed determination, she makes her way through the woods to a cabin in the middle of a small grove. It is a stone building, its entrance barred by a solid wooden door. Her strength beginning to take its leave, she pounds on the dark wood, praying for an answer. 

A soft grumbling comes from the other side and Hotaru can hear the sound of latches being removed. A moment later, the door creaks open and even in her weakened state, Hotaru can not stifle the cry that comes from her mouth. 

The creature that has answered the door is most definitely not human. He is much taller than Hotaru, taller than anyone she has ever seen, even Amara. The creature is not muscular, but long and lithe looking, the fingers along the side of the door long and graceful, but heavily calloused. His skin is a ghostly white and his hair is jet black, reaching down past his shoulders to mid-back—the midnight locks are neat and tidy, brushed back from his angular face, which, Hotaru takes note, is slightly blackened by what appears to be soot if she guesses correctly. His eyes are slit, and Hotaru is suddenly reminded of a snake she had seen once on a field trip to the zoo. The cloths he is wearing are simple: brown, worn looking leggings and a plain white shirt, laced at the top with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Curiously enough, the man wears no shoes and only one, ominous accessory; at his hip rests a long, very sharp looking sword. 

As the creature sees her at his door, his eyes widen in surprise, then in understanding. "Come on in little one, I won't hurt you." His voice is soft and even, compelling in a way that caresses her senses, but he does not touch her. Hotaru is shocked that the language leaving his mouth is her own, but heavily accented, the syllables clipped slightly at the ends to give it a more lilting tone. The creature moves away from the door, retreating from the threshold in order to allow her to enter. Hotaru's knees buckle beneath her, but she manages to stay upright, backing away from the entrance and the thing guarding it. The creature, however, will not take no for an answer. Apparently, he has become impatient with waiting for her to make the decision to enter his home on her own. With a strength that takes her breath away, he scoops her up in his arms and carries her into the house. 

Once inside, he sets her down gently in a chair at a table near a roaring fire. His footsteps move away, off behind her as Hotaru studies the grain of the wood on the table in front of her, trying to stay awake.

"Eat." A wooden bowl filled with some unknown substance is set in front of her. Inside are junks of some kind of meat and strange, yellow, celery-like legumes floating in some kind of broth. 

Hotaru stares at for a moment, afraid to place something as foreign as this in her mouth. After a moment, the creature seems to realize this and with a little bit of annoyance, grabs a spoon a places a big helping of the stuff into his own mouth, swallowing it in one enormous gulp. 

"Now will you eat?"

Hotaru hesitantly picks up her own spoon and places a small chunk of meat into her mouth. To her surprise and delight, she finds it quite good and quickly finishes. It seems like some kind of stew, the meat tasting like a very sweet beef and the vegetables, for all they looked like celery, did a fairly good imitation. When she is done, most of her strength has returned to her and she is more aware of her surroundings. Her head is no longer swimming and her limbs are lighter. 

"Feel better?" the creature asks. 

Hotaru nods. "Yes, thank you."

"Good, by the way, my name's Drako," he says, smiling at her, a small pair of fangs peeking through his upper lip, causing Hotaru to suppress the urge to back away from her host.

"Hotaru," she manages to get out evenly, hoping she sounds more certain of words than she feels.  

Drako sighs. "What is with you humans and coming out into the Black Woods. You're the second one I've found today out in the forest." He stops for a moment and smiles ironically. "Well, at least you got here under your own power. The other one was in such a bad shape I had to carry him in here."

Hotaru looks up in surprise, her violet eyes widening. "You mean I'm not the only one you found?"

"Nope." He stands up and motions for Hotaru to follow him. She rises from her chair, still a little shaky but not nearly so bad as it was before, and follows him. He leads her to a dark room in the back. On a small bed in the corner, a boy who looks to be a little older than her is lying still as death, his brown braid slung over his chest, which is heavily wrapped in bandages. His breathing is ragged and thin and his face is as pale as the sheets that cover him. 

"Is he going to be okay?" Hotaru asks concerned. 

Drako runs his fingers through his thick mane, muttering something under his breath that sounds to Hotaru like a string of curses. "I couldn't say. You humans are so frail. I don't really know how to help him. I cleaned and wrapped his wounds as best I could, but I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. I've had to change the bandages over his chest four times now."

Hotaru walks over to his bedside and pulls up a stool, easing herself down on the small piece of furniture. Gently, she traces the contours of his face, her fingers grazing over high cheekbones, small nose, graceful brow, and velvet lips. Her mouth opens in awe as her hand rests over his brow before she shakes off her trance. He needs her help; she can not dally. She pulls the sheets down to his waist and carefully looks over the body, oblivious to the fact that it is quite probable that he is wearing nothing underneath the white shroud. Hotaru's eyes rake over him, not with a child's eyes as one might expect, worried and frightened, but with a healer's eyes, examining and evaluating. Placing her hands on his throat, she feels for a pulse and finds it, slow but strong. With a sigh of relief, her hands begin to roam over his body, searching for injury beneath the white wrapping. Judging by what she feels, he is fortunate that he is not awake. _Draco's right, this boy needs a doctor, and quickly. Broken ribs, punctured lungs, internal bleeding; it's amazing he's not dead already. _A small smile graces her lips. _Stubborn as a mule. Sounds like a few people I know. _

With as much gentleness as she can manage, she places her hands fully on the boy's broken body, this time with more weight behind them. The form twitches beneath her touch and a low groan escapes his mouth. Hotaru silently apologizes; he is not completely comatose after all. She can feel her energy being tapped, rushing from her body and into his. Slowly and carefully, being sure not to do more damage than good, she begins to mend the broken bones and organs, starting from the chest and working her way up and then down. As she gets down to some of the more minor cuts on his legs, her vision begins to blur. She knows in the back of her mind that she should probably ignore the wounds that can easily heal on their own, but once she is started, she feels the need to heal him fully. Finally, with a shaky sigh, she manages to finish, her hands dropping limply to her side. 

As she sits up in her stool, the boy utters a soft moan and he cracks his eyes open, blinking rapidly due to the sudden intrusion of light. His eyes are blue as a crystal clear sky, pure and honest. The moment they catch hers, they become wide, pulling her into their cool depths. _I can drown in those eyes, she realizes, __and would never put up a struggle. She smiles at him and then allows herself fall blissfully into a sea of cobalt. _


	7. Chapter 6: Adjusting

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Ch.3: Adjusting to New Worlds

_"Stupid if you ask me. Leaving an injured Wufei with a woman is just asking for trouble."_

_                                                            -Heero Yuy_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tokyo, Japan Juuban District: G-Boys Apartment

            Heero places a box on the small twin sized bed and sits down to begin unpacking what little he owns, most of which coming from the money Rei had loaned him, including a used laptop. He had little from his own time, only two guns, some ammo, a knife, and the cloths on his back. He had gotten by on worse. 

            It had taken the boys a while to figure out exactly when and where they were. It had not been hard to figure out they were in Tokyo, Japan. The large, crowded city, a few well know landmarks, and the language being spoken in the area had been a dead give away. It wasn't until Rei had pulled out a calendar to mark down a doctor's appointment, however, that they had figured out that they were in Tokyo at the turn of the century. 

            Heero calmly finishes putting away what little he has and immediately starts installing software onto the laptop. His expression is neutral, only the narrowing of his eyes and the occational grunt revealing his frustration._ This technology isn't nearly as up to date as I would like it to be, even for this time. These are legacy applications. I need what I had at the base!_

Heero sighs, not wanting to dwell on the subject. Things are bad enough as it is; he does not need something as trivial as this to add to the weight. Getting up, he leaves the software to finish installing, hoping that he can find something constructive to do with his time. As he walks into the living room he catches Quatre just getting off the phone.

            "Yes, thank you very much Rei. You've been a great help." Quatre puts down the phone and turns around to smile at Heero. "That was Rei, she just called to tell us that Wufei has finally woken up."

            Heero shrugs and takes a seat on the sofa, studying the wall in front of him. Good for Wufei. Truth be told, Heero had expected him to up and around sooner. 

            Quatre pauses for a moment, almost as if he's surprised at Heero's response, but then dismisses it. "It's hard to believe that it's been a week already. I think that it was real nice of Rei to keep Wufei at the temple." He pauses. "She seems like a very nice young woman."

            "Hn." _Stupid if you ask me. Leaving an injured Wufei with a woman is just asking for trouble._

"Anyway, I think we should…"

            The door behind them slams shut and Trowa enters with a bag full of groceries in one arm and a small stack of papers in the other. As he nears the others, Quatre takes the bag from him and moves it into the kitchen. Trowa, meanwhile, collapses on the couch near Heero and closes his eyes after setting the stack of papers on the coffee table. Heero's eyes fix onto the still form of his comrade, the Heavyarms pilot looking worse than he has since the wars. _This world is taking its toll on us. He glances back toward his room briefly before imitating Trowa's earlier example; he leans back against the couch and makes himself comfortable. __I'm going to have to see if I can get that piece of scrap metal working. Perhaps if I analyze that tower where we landed…_

            Quatre returns promptly and takes a seat across from him. "Did you go?"

            Trowa nods. "Yes, were registered, although I still don't know about going back to high school. It seems a bit useless after all we've been through."

            "Yes, I suppose it does," Quatre replies, "but four seventeen year old boys living on their own not in school at this age would seem very suspicious. We have to appear as normal as possible, even if we don't like it. At this point, we can not afford to attract any unnecessary attention."

            The room grows quiet for a moment, the silence taking up space. "So, who's going to cook dinner?" Quatre asks. 

            Heero glares at him. No way is he going to cook dinner. Trowa only sinks deeper into the couch, a small, almost smile tugging at his lips. Quatre hides his face in his hands and heaves a huge sigh. 

            "Guess I'm doing it," Quatre says, not seeming too disappointed. He gets up and heads for the kitchen. Trowa watches him leave and then leans further into the cushions, looking as if he has every intention of taking a very long nap. 

            Heero, having nothing better to do, goes back to his room and tries his best to program the laptop to his specifications. Upon entering the room, he silently curses, seeing that the software still has not finished loading. _You'd probably find this amusing, wouldn't you Duo. All four of us stuck here in a strange time in a strange place, with no clue as to how we got here. You'd crack a joke and pretend that everything is okay, even though you'd know that it wasn't. _Hero stops typing for a moment, his face showing an emotion no one would expect to see on Heero Yuy; sorrow, and perhaps, regret. It was gone in a moment however, his face returning to stone. _I never thought it would be you to go first. I had always thought that it'd be me to give up my life, or maybe Trowa, or even Wufei. You were the last person on my list.  _

A strange smell drifts through the door, interrupting his thoughts. He lifts his head, taking in a deep breath. Something burning? Heero only hesitates for a moment before getting to his feet. _Now what?_

Tokyo, Japan: Cherry Hill Temple

            "Would you lie back down?! You aren't supposed to be up yet!" Rei's face twists in anger and annoyance as she glares at a boy whose chest and arms are covered in bandages. He is on his knees now, using his left arm as leverage. Sweat pours down his face, his onyx eyes twisted in pain. "Lie down before you hurt yourself! Don't make me force you!"

            "Shut up you weak onna!" he replies through clenched teeth. "You are annoying me with all that useless babbling and as for you forcing me to lie back down, you wouldn't have a chance, even if I'm not in the best of shape right now!"

            Rei reels back as if struck, but then, letting her anger get the best of her, she stomps over to his side. "What did you just call me? Your friends said you were a little hard on women, but they never said that you were such a chauvinistic pig Wufei Chang!" _The nerve of this man! Who does he think he is?_

            "Stupid onna, you have no idea who you're talking to," Wufei says, placing a hand on a beam in the temple for support, pulling himself to his feet, wobbling slightly from the effort. 

            "Oh really?" Rei says, a demonic smile on her face. To the immense surprise of Wufei, Rei jumps toward him and lands a low kick toward the lower, less injured, half of his body. Wufei stumbles backward and tries to grab the beam as his legs are pushed out from under him, but soon realizes that nothing can stop his fall and he braces for impact. Before he hits the ground, however, Rei moves beneath him and grabs him as gently as she can manage underneath his arms. She lowers him slowly onto a mat.

            Wufei doubles over, clutching his bandaged chest. Rei's eyes soften and she wipes away a bead of sweat from his eyes with the corner of her robe. "Would you please rest now? You just regained consciousness three hours ago—do you really want to force me to send you back to that condition?"

            Wufei relaxes slightly and opens one eye to meet hers. Then, suddenly, a smile crosses his face. Rei doesn't have time to react as he grabs the top of her shirt, pulling her downward. With a practiced motion, he rolls backwards and uses his legs to kick her, driving her into a wall. Rei gets up with a groan, she doesn't stay down long. She dashes back to where the injured boy lyes and thrusts downward, this time adding some of her senshi power to the force of her blow. The punch lands just to the right of Wufei's head, splintering the wood of the temple and sending chips flying. Her efforts are rewarded with Wufei's astonished gaze, her patient's eyes locked onto the spot where Rei's fist had connected with the ground. Rei stands over him, her arms crossed and her eyes burning. "Now will you lie down?"

            Wufei nods and returns to his bed on the floor, his motions slow and deliberate. Rei turns as she hears the door to the room slide open and her grandfather walks in, carrying a tray with some ointments and bandages as well as some water on it. He glances around the room at the dent in the wall and the hole in his temple floor.

            After placing the tray on the table, he looks directly at Wufei and smiles. "Well, it looks as if my granddaughter is rather taken with you young man. I've never seen her treat a guest this well before. Usually men don't leave this temple conscious and considering your condition, you're putting up with this extremely well. She has quite a temper."

            _I can't believe he actually…_Rei balls her fists and advances toward her grandfather.

            "Grandpa, how could you say that? Get out!"

            "Now Rei I was only trying to hel…"

            "GET OUT!" 

            Her grandfather takes one look at Rei's face and decides that now would be a good time to make a run for it. Without saying another word, he leaves the room. 

             His head resting on an elbow, Wufei watches the old man leave, thinking about his last comment. Under his breath, making sure that Rei can't hear, he mutters, "I believe it, stupid onna."

Tokyo, Japan: Lita's apartment

            Lita cracks open the door to her apartment with her right foot, her arms filled with grocery bags, her keys held in her mouth. After struggling through the entrance way, she slams the door closed and makes her way into the kitchen, placing her bags on the counter. What a day! After shopping for food for dinner that evening followed by meeting Serena and Mina at the arcade, her nerves are fried—no surprise there. As much as she loves her overly amiable friends and fellow scouts, their cheerfulness could drive anyone through the roof. It is nice to have people who care, but by Kami does she ever need the down time at the end of the day!

            After setting her keys on the ring near her phone, she moves over to the refrigerator and pulls out a bottle of spring water, taking the liquid down in big gulps. She never could drink water from the tap, it tastes too much like chlorine for her liking. Her thirst satisfied, she flops down onto the couch in the living room and turns on the TV, setting the channel to the evening news. 

            A familiar anchor woman appears on the screen, her black, almond eyes on the camera, dark hair tied in a neat bun, her face fixed in its permanent impassive mask. It is alarming really. The world itself could be coming to an end and she could still be as cold as stone as she reports that every living thing on the face of planet is soon going to meet an untimely end. It's outright eerie. Her job sure, but she is nothing more than a robot repeating whatever words are fed to her. Lita grips the controller, preparing to change the channel—sad really. The media's purpose is to stir a reaction in its audience, but how can it possibly manage that when it is too worried about being biased or unfair? Could the woman on the screen just blink? __

            She is about to press the button that would wipe away the androidic woman when the screen behind the anchor changes to show an image of the Miantano Hospital a few blocks away from her apartment. "Within the past five hours, seven people have collapsed within the city. Doctors are telling the press that it appears to be just a simple lack of energy, but many people are not so sure. People have been flocking to hospitals since early this morning complaining of dizziness, nausea, and memory loss. There seems to be no end to the plague."

            The woman on the screen changes position so that the downtown mall can be seen on the screen. "In the mall alone, three people have collapsed in the middle of the day. 

            "Although doctors are saying that something like this could be caused by the lack of a good diet, it seems unlikely that…"

            Lita turns the volume down and reaches for her bag. Unlike Rei, she has no phykic abilities and her powers can not sense danger like Michelle's. Perhaps it is woman's intuition or simply her gut feeling, but in either case, she finds herself pulling out her communicator, and dialing Ami's number, her hands shaking slightly as she punches the numbers. There is a crackle of static as the transmission processes, the static moving frantically across the screen with urgency. Finally, Ami appears on the screen, her tired eyes staring at Lita. Ami does not speak but recognizes Lita with a small bow of her head, blue hair falling to cover the shimmering in her eyes. 

            "Ami, have you seen the news yet?" She knows before she asks that it's a dumb question, but she can think of no other way of breaking the ice princess.

            Ami nods. "Yes, I just turned it off now. My mother has been at the hospital all day and she'll be working around the clock. I brought lunch to her earlier." She sniffles. "It's horrible Lita, there are so many people…" She pauses again and Lita doesn't push her—she can't blame her. "The Negaverse is active again, there can be no other explanation."

            "Yes, I thought so too. Should we call the others?"

            The princess of Mercury rests her head in her hands, eyes closing. Finally, "Yes, but it can wait until tomorrow. There is nothing we can do until something makes an appearance. I need to be able to trace it."

            "Yeah okay, no problem Ami. Do you want me to get in touch with the others?"

            "No, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Most of them have probably already seen the report anyway."

            "Okay, see you tomorrow then." Lita turns off her communicator and places it back into her bag. _Ami's right. There isn't anything we can do right now unless we catch someone in the act. Damn, and just when I thought we'd be getting a rest, figures. _Lita eases herself off the couch with a sigh. So much for a comfortable evening. Those Negaverse villains have a way of spoiling even the sweetest of moments. 

            Lita saunters back into the kitchen and begins taking out groceries for dinner when a forigne smell reaches her nose. She breaths in deeply, taking a few steps toward the stove. The stench is faint, but noticeable enough to cause her worry. With some amount of trepidation, she sweeps over the kitchen, trying to track the source of the problem. After a minute of pacing, she shakes her head in defeat. No, the smell is not originating from the kitchen. 

Lita runs out of the kitchen  and follows the odor to her front door. The smell is coming from outside. _It's close, very close. _Lita follows the smell to an apartment two doors down and across the hall from her. When she reaches the door, she is surprised to find the door unlocked. Without thinking, she rushes in and follows the smoke to the kitchen. Two boys who look a little older than her, one tall with unusually long bangs and one with blond hair and blue eyes are trying their best to put out a fire in the oven with buckets of water. 

Lita turns and runs back down the hall to her apartment. She makes a wild dash for the kitchen, punching through the glass that encases her fire extinguisher, ignoring the blood now running down her hand. She grabs the bright red object, removing the pin as she races back to the fire, once again barging into the house without asking permission to enter. 

            "Move out of the way!" Lita shoves the two boys aside and begins to spray the fire. The heat is intense, tears springing to her eyes in an attempt to shield them from the smoke. She keeps the nozzle steady, however, and in a matter of moments, the small crisis is over. 

            When she turns back around, there are three boys standing behind her near the counter, the third boy obviously having had arrived while she was distracted. One of the boys, the tallest, moves away, making his way toward a room off the kitchen. Of the two remaining, the blond who had been trying to put out the fire earlier is staring with wide, vulnerable blue eyes, his mouth parted slightly. She offers him a kind smile and he hesitantly grins in return. 

            Oh, yes, he is definitely not hard on the eyes, but it is his companion that draws her attention. The blond had stared at her with kind, if somewhat startled eyes, but this one bores right through her with the eyes of a predator. Prussian blue eyes lock with hers, a sea of endless shadow curling within their depths, his left eyes hidden slightly behind a curtain of unrulely brown hair. He is a solid wall of ice, his body rigid as if he is ready to spring forward like some kind of wild cat. Lita can almost picture those hardened muscles, well defined beneath a white tee-shirt and tight jeans, rippling beneath his skin in smooth elegant motion. Unexpecidly, her body tightens, her throat closing up and cutting off her air, chills running through her body. _Kami_… __

            Suddenly, Lita is thrown out of her trance by a steady pressure on her hand. She nearly jumps back in shock and stares at the tall boy who had just returned. He is pressing a whit towel against her hands, squeezing it just enough to stop the blood flow. Funny, in all the commotion, she had nearly forgotten the damage the glass had done to her hand. The boy reaches over and removes the extinguisher from her motionless fingers, setting it carefully on the table. Lita carefully clasps the towel, nodding in thanks to the boy as he releases her.

            "Thank you very much." 

            Lita looks up, blushing ever so slightly at the blond haired boy. "Oh, you're welcome, it was no trouble at all. My name's Lita by the way."

            "I'm Quatre Rebbaba Winner, and this is Trowa and Heero. Quick thinking with the fire extinguisher. I never thought to find one." His cheeks begin to turn a crimson that rivals her own.  

            "That's okay," Lita says, a little more cheerfulness coming into her voice. She looks around at the kitchen, her eyes resting on the smoking oven. "Um, just what were you trying to do anyway?"

            Quatre's face grows redder. "I was attempting to cook, but I guess I'm not that good."

            Lita stifles a laugh but can't suppress the smile that manages to creep onto her face. Attempting to cook, huh? _That was my next guess. _Lita takes a glance at the mess around her. Pots and food are scattered everywhere and there is a large puddle of water on the ground. The inside of the oven is a mess, grease coating the sides along with ash and foam from the extinguisher. _It would take some work, but it's salvageable. What they have is ruined, but if I were to bring some of the stuff from my apartment, I may yet be able to make a meal out of this yet.  I wonder…_

"If you don't mind and if it isn't too much trouble, would you let me cook dinner?"

            Quatre looks at her skeptically, a little surprised. He must not have expected the answer. "Are you sure?"

            "Sure, why not? I was just about to cook dinner anyway. It would just mean that I'm cooking for a larger crowd." 

            Quatre looks at the other boys. Trowa shrugs indifferently and Heero simply grunts a moves away. It is all the same to him. "Sure, why not?" Quatre remarks. "We would be happy to have you."

            "Great."

***************************************************************** 


	8. Chapter 7: We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Dragon Lady

Children of Time: The Time's Wheel Saga

Chapter 7: We're Not in Kansas Anymore

**_"Why do I get the feeling that these two are going to cause many problems for me?"_**

**_                                                                                                -Duo Maxwell_**

***************************************************************

?…

Duo sits in a large wooden chair, sipping a hot cup of some kind of strongly spiced tea, listing to the music the creature by the fireplace, who had introduced himself as Drako, is playing on a wooden flute. The instrument itself is strange in Duo's eyes and he can not help but stare at it with deep fascination. Coming from a modern world, every flute he had ever seen had been made with perfection—and out of metal. This one appears as if it had been carved; the mouthpiece is shaped directly into the hollow body, much like fife, and the foot is curved ever so slightly. There are no keys either, just holes which must be meticulously covered to prevent the loss of air and sound. The melody is a haunting one, rising through the air like the echo a voice calling from far away, Drako's thin fingers dancing lightly over the keys. The tone is deep, stretching through the instrument's lower octave and although Duo would never define himself as a master of the musical arts, he has a feeling that that is uncommon. It lacks the upbeat and brightness of a jig or reel, but it is not some melancholy lover's lament either. It is persuasive, almost like it is summoning someone or something—it pulls provocatively at Duo's soul. 

            Duo shifts slightly in his chair pulling his eyes away from the 'demon' at the hearth. Yes demon. That is the only word he could come up with for the guy after he had awoken from his unexpected slumber. Suggestions of elf and faerie had been the first things that had crossed his mind, but it had been obvious almost immediately that those would not fit. The few children's stories that had either been read or recited to him during his childhood did not resemble this creature in the slightest. The way he carried himself and the forcefulness of his presence denied any such affiliation. Even his physical aspect--dark hair, hard eyes, and ghostly skin—had discouraged any thought that he may be one of those children of Underhill, a Sidhe. Besides, in fairytales, such creatures were beings of light; the demon before him is all darkness. Despite his apparent carefree attitude, Drako is surrounded by a light shroud of blackest night and it sends chills up Duo's spine.  

Drako glares at Duo from where he is seated at the hearth and Duo quickly looks away, belatedly realizing that he had been staring. Shit, the last thing he needs is an offended demon breathing down the back of his neck. Instead, he locks his gaze on the door to the room on the far side of the house, the other cause of his discomfort. He has been keeping his distance from that room where an exhausted girl lays resting. It is hard to believe that only four hours have passed since he had awoken to the sight Drako with the small, dark-haired girl in his arms. The girl had been unconscious, but Duo himself had never felt better. He should be dead. 

Duo traces a line down his arm, which should have been heavily scared from the large piece of iron that had gone through it. _How did she do it? When she laid her hands on me, I could feel my bones cracking and moving back into place. The skin on my body seemed to move and close up the gashes. There is no way I should still be breathing, and yet I can walk around as if nothing had happened. It's like my mobile suit never exploded into billions of tiny bits. If I weren't in some unknown world, I'd say nothing had happened at all. _

Just thinking of the girl makes his skin crawl. Compared to Drako, she looks completely human. Come to think of it, if he had not been subject to that odd power of hers, he may even have been as attracted to her as he was to any woman at home. He can not deny that the soft, delicate bone structure of her face, ebony hair, and sensuous lips had been alluring. Even her eyes, a dark liquid violet, had seared through his soul before they had been covered by black lashes. Yes, she had been somewhat pretty, but the dark aura that had surrounded her hid that glamour as the moon hides the sun in an eclipse. 

The haunting music stops and Drako stands up, moving toward him. Despite his efforts, Duo can not help but pull back from him slightly. Silently, he scolds himself for showing even a hint of fear and to compensate, he glares back at Drako as he looks him in the eye, thinking of what Heero would do. His best friend's ice glares had deterred many would be enemies countess times. Surely it will work here.

Drako tosses up his arms, exasperated. "By the Goddess boy! I'm only trying to see how you're fairing! I don't have some kind of disease. I assure you, I don't bite!" He pauses for a moment and then flashes a small grin, the tips of pointy white teeth peeking through his lips.

Duo looks away, his body still tense. _Oh yeah, like I'm supposed to believe that!_ "What are you?" Duo asks.

"Me? I'm a blacksmith, or did you miss the many weapons hanging on the walls or in pieces in corners?"

Duo raises an eyebrow in response. No, he had not missed that minor detail—the room truly is covered with weapons. Axes, swords, maces, javelins, and numerous other tools of pain litter the walls and floor, some of them finely honed and finished, others lying in pieces with a handle, guard, or hilt missing. There is not a doubt in Duo's mind that the creature who had found him is a blacksmith, but then that had not been exactly what he had meant.  

Drako can't help but laugh. "Oh, you mean _that. _You know, you really should see the look on your face!Haven't you ever seen a demon before boy?"

"No," Duo replies dryly. He has seen a great deal of horror and pain in his life, but even if he were to mentally shuffle through every memory, he could never say that a demon is among them. 

"Surprising, I thought almost every human on this world has seen at least one, but then again, judging by how you're dressed, your attitude, and the fact that you're here in the first place, you're not from this world." Drako turns suddenly and raises a hand pointing at the fire in the hearth. The flames jump and swell, momentarily escaping their stone prison to flare into the room, making Duo jump despite his efforts to resist the impulse. "Well, to make things clearer, I'm a fire demon, which makes blacksmithing and ideal profession. You are on Relecos in the Black Woods, outside the human kingdom of Trenith."

Duo relaxes slightly, recovering from the fire's sudden outburst. "And that girl?"

Drako sighs, looking a bit concerned. "I was kind of hoping that you could tell me. I don't know what she is, or where she comes from, but like you, she is not from this world. She's human, I can tell you that, but she posses some kind of power unknown to my kind. If she wants you to know more, she will tell you when she awakens."

He shudders at the thought—does he really want to find out? Duo nods. _Great, just what I need. _"One more question Drako. What did you mean when you said 'the fact that you're here in the first place'? How come the idea of two strangers from another world dropping in on you does not seem to surprise you?"

To his surprise the demon chuckles, his piercing red eyes dancing with amusement. Well, there was something Duo never thought he'd see on a demon's face. "To answer the latter question, let's just say that I recognize that there is more than one world in the vast universe in which we live. As to how I know that, all I can say is that I once knew a great man who opened my eyes to this dimension and many others. That was a long time ago though. I was a fool then, as most of us were." He pauses, a shadow crossing his features. After a second of silence, he begins again. "As to the first question, the Black Woods are a part of the demon world in the human world." Duo stares at him blankly and Drako grunts. "Fine. There are two worlds here, the Demon World, and the Human World. There is actually only one world, just different spaces, dimensions if you wish to call them that. Humans and demons can only cross worlds by using gates, areas where the veil between the two worlds is very thin. The Black Woods is one such gate. Most humans try to avoid this place, except for maybe the few who are Demon Hunters, though there has not been one of them here for quite some time. Even the demons tend to avoid this place." Drako stops a moment, his mind a little distant. "There was, however, a strange disturbance before you appeared. It was almost as if the gates suddenly collapsed. Many Demons now occupy this territory."

"What about you?"

"Me? I've been here for about two hundred years. Both the Humans and the Demons use my services as a blacksmith. Those that can actually find me that is."

With a small sigh, Duo leans back in his chair. What in Shinigami's name had he gotten himself into?

"Had enough yet boy?"

Duo only nods. _Why do I get the feeling that these two are going to cause many problems for me?_

Time Gate:

Pluto sits down totally exhausted, staring at the ruined Time Gate. _It still doesn't look right! _Everything from hammers and nails, to spare pieces of wood and iron are scattered around the area, making a huge mess. 

Pluto rests her head on her knees, clearly upset. "By the time I get the actual gate built, restoring its power will be as easy as breathing," she mutters to herself. "Why couldn't Serenity leave behind a very descriptive instruction manual on how to rebuild this thing when it shatters!"

_But then again, it was never meant to shatter. _

She sighs and picks up a hammer and some nails and begins to get back to work. "I'll never be able to fix this!"

*******************************************************************


End file.
